Always in Fashion

The priest who celebrated our Mass was late today. He had his schedule mixed up and thought that he was meant to be the celebrant at the later Children’s Mass. His opening words were an apology for the late start and for the sermon to come – one that was prepared for children and not the sleepy adults who normally attend first Mass.

The words ‘old fashioned courtesy’ came immediately to mind. Here was someone who did not take us for granted, who respected our time, and who cared for us as people who mattered.

A little jingle that we learnt and, in turn, taught others still rings in my mind: They never grow old, they always seem new, those three little words, Please and Thank You. And yet how many of these three little words do we hear today? It seems that it is easier to demand than request, easier to shove than to say’ ‘excuse me’, easier to grab and run than to say ‘thank you’.

Sales people have been trained to say, ‘have a nice day’ – they do so routinely and automatically. When I cheerily respond, ‘thanks and you too!’ I receive a startled and sometimes hesitant ‘thank you’.

Is simple courtesy going out of fashion? I certainly hope not. Because it is one of those little things that make a difference: courtesy brings a smile to the lips and a lift to the spirit, to both the giver and the receiver.

Take my water vendor, for instance. Not quite an urchin, not yet a man, come rain or shine, he shoulders the 25 litre bottle from his transport to the dispenser in my kitchen. He was quite surly to start with, but now he greets me with a ‘good morning’ and a ‘thank you’ for the coupon and the tip (the latter probably helps!). A ‘thumbs up’ moment! I would like to think he spreads this courtesy to other clients too. A stone cast upon the waters? Who knows where the ripples will end.